Rail-joint.



G. G. HAGER.

v RAIL JOINT. APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 24, 1910.

Patented July 18,1911.

iF/a/ 'fl INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT 015F 03 I GEORGE HAGER OF F l ECONnEGTIoUrV I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 1911.

Application flied September 24, 1910.- semi No. 553,574.

To all it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. HAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in v Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to pro'- vlde arail joint adapted for use in joining light or heavy rails upon railways generally,

and especially upon electric railways, which shall avoid the use of fish plates andprovide a firm and rigid joint fully as strong as the rails themselves, will provide a continuous tread at the joints and will prevent depression of the ends of the rails thereby pression of the endsof the rails, is practically eliminated.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the novel rail joint of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing is a specification, reference characters being used to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my novel rail joint as in'use; Fig. 2 a horizontal 1ongitudinal section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 a side elevation of the left rail head complete; Fig.4 a verticaltransverse section on the line 4:4 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is-a vertical transverse section on the line 55 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Each end of each rail is provided with a head which matches and interlocks with the head of the contiguous rail. These heads are identical with the exception that they are rights and lofts. scription I will designate the left head by A and the right head by B.

10 denotes the base, 11 the web and 12 the tread of an ordinary T-rai-l. Each rail head is cut away on a central, vertical, longitudi-v nal line leaving a vertical half-rail, indicated by 13. on one side and a recess 14 on the other side which is adapted to receive the corresponding half-rail'of the contiguous head. Beyond each half-rail is a supporting plate '15 which lies against the web the base.

For convenience in de-- full. thickness of the tread, thus giving a maximum of strength and rigidity at ust the points where it is required. .In practice 5 use three bolts only at each joint, although more may be used if preferred.

16 denotes a central bolt/which passes through transverse holes 17 in the half rails at their mid-length, and 18 denotes end bolts which .pass through transverse holes 19 in the supporting plates and in'the thickened portions of the web, specifically indicated by 20, which extend back from the half-rails as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The

bolts are shown as provided with wings 23' which engage lateral recesses 24 in the edges of the bolt holes, the purpose of which. is to lock the boltsagainst rotation when the nuts 25 are tightened up.

vided to lock the nuts.

As a convenient and relatively inexpensive means of bonding the rails when used upon electric railways, I provide in the halfrails, on opposite sides of theholes for the central bolt, conductors 21 consisting of a plurality of strands of copper wire which pass loosely through centrally enlarged chambers formed by suitably flared coinciding openings 22 in the half-rails said con- 96 du'ctors being headed on their ends as at 27.,

The heads lie closely in contact with the hali rails and effectively bond them. By

this arrangement the bond wire is completely concealed between the members of the rail joint and yet suiiicient space is allowed to permit relative movement of the rail members due to expansion or contrac tion, without shearing the rail bond or otherwise injuring the same. The rail bolid' is also protected from injury and surrepti-v tiousdisarrangement as it. would be necessary to first unbolt the rails and pry the same a art before the rail bond could'be reachef I from the drawing. The left and right heads and fills the space between the tread and f The web at the heads is thickened so that the outer faces o-f'the half-railsandsupporting plates are flush with the treadso" 60 that the combined transverse thickness of the two heads at and pastthe joint is the Set 'nuts 26 are pro 80.

The operation will be readily understood i of contiguous rails match each other perfeotly and fit together in such a manner as 1 'to make practically a continuous rail, as it;

will be obvious that owing to the fact that the half-rails lie side by side the wheels in passing will be Well on the second rail before passing off from the first. I furthermore insure that. there shall be no depression of the ends of the rails by providing thesupporting plates, Which extend forward from the half-rails and fill the spaces between the treads and the bases at the ends of the joint. These supporting plates, in fact, lock the ends of the rails against depression and impart t0 the joints the full strength of the rails themselves.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A rail joint comprising interlocking rail heads each formed of a vertical halt rail and each provided with an opening, said openings coinciding to form a chamber, a flexible electric rail bond inclosed Within said chamber, said bond being of a length greater than the combined thickness of the rail heads, whereby said bond is concealed and expansion and contraction of the rails is permitted Without injury to the rail bond,

and means for uniting said rail heads and permitting expansion and contraction of the rails I v 2. A rail joint comprising interhicl ing rail heads eachformed of a vertical half rail, said heads being provided. with oppositely flaring openings coinciding to form a chamber, a flexible electric rail bond rigidly secured at its outer ends in said open ings, said bond extending through said chamber and being of a length greater than the combined thickness of the rail heads, whereby said bond is concealed and expansion and contraction of the rail is permitted without injury to the rail bond, and means for uniting said rail heads and permitting expansion and contraction of the rails.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' GEORGE C. HAGER. Witnesses:

A. M. \Voosrnn, S. N. ATHERTON. 

